Kansas City Chiefs Acquire CB Lonnie Johnson Jr. From Houston Texans

After adding five new defensive backs in the 2022 NFL Draft last weekend, the Kansas City Chiefs have added yet another name to their secondary. Cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. has been traded to the Chiefs. In return, Houston acquires a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick from Kansas City. A product of Kentucky, Johnson Jr. was a second-round pick of the Texans, picked 54th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.

During his time in Houston, Johnson Jr. played primarily at cornerback. The Texans did experiment a little with trying him at the safety position, though. Thus, finding a secure role was assuredly difficult within the Houston defense. In three seasons, Lonnie Johnson Jr. played 44 games. He registered 172 tackles, 13 passes defended, three interceptions and three quarterback hits.

What can Chiefs fans expect from a traits perspective with Lonnie Johnson Jr.? Which position in the secondary could he find a role at? Plus, how will Kansas City go about handling the suddenly deep set of names in the defensive back room?

Size And Physicality

It is becoming evident that the Chiefs are wanting to become more physical and stouter all over the roster entering 2022. Defensive back is certainly a spot where that has largely been filled with those exact traits. It happened with the draft selections last weekend. And with Lonnie Johnson Jr., his size (6’2”, 213 pounds) can be used to thwart opposing wide receivers, while throwing them off balance.

Outside of that, the play style of Johnson Jr. is best utilized in man coverage. Due to so many different defensive schemes and coaching changes that he endured while with the Texans, it has been rare to see him press at the line of scrimmage. He appears to feel much more comfortable in that kind of role. Whereas in zone coverage, his size and physicality can be held back by average flexibility and change of direction skills. His ball skills are not horrible either. Though, the ball production took a while to materialize while with the Texans.

Cornerback Or Safety?

We mentioned the many coaching changes that Lonnie Johnson Jr. endured while with Houston. In addition, the team did not do him any favors by playing him out of position far too often. Johnson Jr. was given a shot as a slot safety type after an early attempt at cornerback. Not only did that force him to play in space far too much, it took the confidence of Johnson Jr. away.

So, what does this mean for his role with the Chiefs? Lonnie Johnson Jr. arguably could not have joined a better defensive scheme than Steve Spagnuolo‘s. He could receive a lot more reps in press man coverage. On top of that, Spagnuolo makes it a point to provide safety help over the top in a two-high structure. In Houston, Johnson Jr. was on an island, so to speak, a lot more than he will be in Kansas City. The safety experiment was unnecessary for a team disgruntled with Lonnie Johnson Jr. With the Chiefs, the outside cornerback role is where he may find his footing.

How Clear Is Playing Time For Lonnie Johnson Jr.?

When you look at recent trends and the depth of the Chiefs’ roster, Kansas City will usually not exceed six or seven cornerbacks on the 53-man roster at the start of the season. You would assume that Lonnie Johnson Jr. is going to be a source of competition, first and foremost. To expect him to be a consistent starter may be a bit far- fetched, as things currently stand. That is especially true when you look at the trade compensation that Kansas City sent to Houston to get Johnson Jr. To boot, the amount of defensive backs who were just drafted is possibly suspect for him as well.

In all honesty, Lonnie Johnson Jr. should squarely be viewed as a camp body at this point. He will compete in training camp among a tremendously deep group of defensive backs. Arguably, Johnson Jr. could be in the same boat as say a Deandre Baker. Both Johnson Jr. and Baker have the size and length, but have undergone early struggles in their career. They have each had bright moments in small samples. Yet, neither has been able to secure a clear starting role.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.